Mick Doohan Motocoaster construction discussion

[Richard]

Many things about this coaster that are different to other Intamin coasters have been done as an exercise in reducing costs. It looks like Intamin will be eager to market rides to smaller parks were keeping costs low is very important. My best guess would be that rather than specially engineering a single section of track to have two less brackets, by simply repeating the same design they could cut out unnecessary setup time in fabrication and in turn save costs in terms of labour.

[dodge53]

Dreamworld website updated with moto coaster, have a look.

[Dylaan]

Rang Dreamworld today, apparently the motocoaster won't open till next month, but the bowl slides at WWW should be open in a week or so... Sorry if this has already been mentioned.

[mattcrombie]

CONFIRMED. Mick Doohan Motocoaster Will Open Sunday 30th September.

[zane]

Ok cool, someone should organise a meet-up on the opening day? it would be great ! Zane.

[WalleyWorld]

Hey guys, they were testing the coaster on thursday, when I went to Dreamworld. Got some footage of it after I went on the Giant Drop so I'll get that up in a few days or so . I'm posting from the Gold Coast Airport and should be back in Melbourne in a couple hours. I will also have a trip report for you guys as well very soon. Anyway, This coaster has a really fast launch for something that is run by tires, but I think they were testing it on a slower launch speed cause it was on it's last legs over the last hills. It could also be becuase there were no test dumbies to give extra weight, and in turn extra speed. However, it takes the first turn really forcefully and the turns after that pretty fast as well. I think it's going to be a good coaster but we'll just have to wait and see. CoAsTeRBoY8

[stardust]

Ooh I am so going next sunday!

[Dylaan]

I'll definitely be there, even though I only went yesterday!

[www worker]

i was ther today some worker told me the open day is 30th of sptember, it was testing to day, the eureka mine ride will be open before the end of the year and the proslide bowls in www are open i find it funny though that dreamworld haven't put on tv commercials for the ride yet.

[mattcrombie]

CONFIRMED. Mick Doohan Motocoaster Will Open Sunday 30th September.

Didnt you read my comment. Should be 30th unless it rains...

[www worker]

Didnt you read my comment. Should be 30th unless it rains...

yes sorry

[Richard]

Coaster Boy 8 has given us some great footage showing the coaster during testing. It can be viewed on our Videos page: http://www.roller-coaster.com.au/videos.php?vid=23

[Churros]

Wow that's quick! /sarcasm. Please tell me that they were launching that test drastically under speed because that hardly even made it through the course.

[dreamworld_rulz]

Thanks for posting that Richard. And Coaster Boy 8 for filming it. It looks fully sic.

[Gazza]

Thanks for the vid, though for some reason on my computer the sound kept fading in and out The launch looks pretty cool...unfortunatley that and the first couple of turns seem to be the only good parts. Lets hope they crank it up a bit and that wasn't a full speed test, it looks like it was limping to the finish line, hardly the motor racing spirit you would want to capture.

[GoGoBoy]

Aaaah so disappointing. I'm sorry I can't hold in my negativity any longer. I reckon this coaster is going to be a fizzer. I doubt they could make it run much faster as the initial force could end up being too strong. Dreamworld's obsession with motorbike racing and trying to make this like a REAL motor race rather than just a fun ride has probably stuffed things up. There are not enough hills/drops to speed the train up throughout the course. Also, it is waaay too short! There is not enough track, it is over in 2 seconds. And finally it is probably one of the ugliest roller coasters I have ever seen - the track, the multi-coloured bikes - PATHETIC. I know I've probably just upset the fan boys but too bad this is the way I feel

[New display name]

The train is very noisy towards the end of the run. It squeaks like a mouse is stuck under a wheel. I think it sound like a shopping trolley with a bung wheel. In all there hast to get in running after the rain they have forgotten to oil it. Somebody better call them and tell them to oil it up baby.

[Gazza]

Dreamworld's obsession with motorbike racing and trying to make this like a REAL motor race rather than just a fun ride has probably stuffed things up.

I think you have hit the nail on the head with that comment. Design wise, the ride has missed the mark in terms of pacing, ideally the turns should get tighter and the hills smaller so the ride keeps its excitement, in reality it's the exact opposite, meandering turns high up. Yes, they are making it like a motor racing track by having lots of turns, but unfortunatley this makes the ride utterly forceless with no airtime. It will do the job as a family ride, but to say its part of "Big 6" is just a joke. Edited September 24, 2007 by Gazza

[T-bone]

Don't get your hopes up guys, I don't think Dreamworld will be launching this ride any faster than what is seen in the video. Looks like a fun ride at the beginning, but after that, looks to really die down, which is good in a way for a family ride, but this is definatly not a Thrill Ride, I don't care how you look at it. It actually reminds me a lot of the Rugrats coaster, in terms of it's appeal to the younger audience. A shame really, this ride had potential.

Edited September 24, 2007 by T-bone

[saberon]

You probably find that will a full load the ride will maintain it's speed alot better. This ride is completely reliant on it's own inertia and 10km difference in launch speed makes a tremendous difference in speed towards the end of the track. I seriously doubt intamin would build a ride that crawls over it's magnetic brakes. As per usual you guys are probably overreacting...

[WalleyWorld]

Thanks richard for putting it up!!! Sorry for the poor quality video though. But I couldn't upload a 279mb video and expect everybody to download it!! And for the sound, I edited it out. I did this because my brother was saying stuff in the background and didn't realise that I was taping . There were also school children everywhere yelling and screaming about their ride on the giant drop!! LOL. Anyway, I left the bits where the sound was most important e.g. launch and when the train took the corners closest to me, so you can hear the awful squeaking noise it makes. I was scared something was not secured properly . As for the launch speed, they were testing the ride after that time as well but I only got a small peak through the trees over in Wiggles World. It seemed to go alot faster over the brake run, so I'm not sure if they were gradualy putting the speed higher or what. Thanks for the comments everyone, and I hope everybody gets an insight into the "not so much of a thrill ride now after we have seen the first test-run" ride that dreamworld has built!! CoAsTeRbOy8

Edited September 24, 2007 by Coaster Boy 8

[zane]

You probably find that will a full load the ride will maintain it's speed a lot better. This ride is completely reliant on it's own inertia and 10km difference in launch speed makes a tremendous difference in speed towards the end of the track.

I think this is part right and wrong, if anyone has seen superman's morning test runs the train flies around the track even though the train is empty and when it hits the brakes it stops a lot quicker because its inertia is less then a full train. also 10km is huge, 1km could make the difference of making it over the first hill on any launch coaster! I know Intamin gradually add speed to there launches when they test for the first time, this period can last up to a week or so. this is how they test all there launch coasters. superman's first couple of test runs were really slow the train hardly made it half way up the top hat! So yes lets just hope its a low speed test run Zane.

[saberon]

Superman escape is still a semi gravity reliant coaster, as long as it makes it over the top hat it will have enough stored potential gravitational energy to complete it's track at speed. Where as this Motocoaster could ascend it's first hill at 50kmph and due to the fact the ride barely loses height throughout the track it would end up stalling. But if it was launched at full speed it should easily make the full track at a decent speed. well one should hope so.

[zane]

I did a test in No Limits launching at 72km and the train flies over the first 7meter hill

[Richard]

Motocoaster was designed such that if it reaches the top of the first hill, it will make it through the remainder of the course. It's the most fundamental of roller coaster design principles. Very few coasters out there, launched or not, don't follow this basic rule. It makes absolutely no sense from a general operational point of view to make a ride that can get easily stuck along the track if its launch isn't at the required speed. Ignoring extenuating circumstance such as exceptionally strong winds, Motocoaster will make it through its course if it's over the first hill. The only place a rollback will occur is on this first hill, at which point the ride can be easily reset.